Box-toe



l UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

.I AMES W. PACKARD, OF BROCKTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE BOUV,CRAWFORD & COMPANY CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-TOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,614, dated August22, 1893.

Application filed December 5, 1892. Serial No. 454,108. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. PAoKAR of Brockton, in the county ofPlymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Box-Toes for Boots and Shoes, of which thefollowing is al speciiication.

This invention relates to the blanks or pieces which are used to stiftenand imparta permanent form to the toes of boot and shoe uppers, and ithas for its object to provide an improved blank or box toe piece, whichshall aord the upper of the boot or shoe the desired support at theprominent portion of the curve of the box toe, without being undulythick and prominent at the marginal portions.

The invention consists in a box toe blank composed of an elastic rubberbody portion decreasing in thickness in all directions from its centralportion to its margin and a cloth backing piece which is of greater areathan the rubber body, the blank having a shoulder or rabbet near itslower edge formed to bear against the toe of the inner sole of a boot orShoe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification-Figure1 represents a plan view of my improved box toe blank. Fig. 2 representsa Section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section of the toe portion of aboot or shoe into which my improved box toe has been incorporated.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In carrying out my invention, I form a box toe blank o., ofsubstantially the outline in plan shown in Fig. 1, of rubber or acomposition composed largely of rubber, the rubber being suitablyvulcanized, so that the blank is suiciently firm to retain the shapeimparted to it when it is incorporated in the boot or shoe, and isadapted to return to its proper form in case the upper is indented atthe toe portion by external pressure. The blank is made of varyingthicknesses, its maximum thickness being at or about the portion markedw in the several figures of the drawings, this portion being aboutmidway between the corners m x ot' the blank, the loca- 5o tion of thesaid portion of maximum thickness being such that, in the formed blank,the said portion is at the prominent or salient curve of the box toe, asshown in Fig. 4, and is therefore adapted to give the upper a very firm5 5 support at the point where such support is most needed. The blank isgradually reduced in thickness from the portion of maximum thickness tothe margin, the reduction being in all directions, so that the margin isbrought 6o down to a comparatively thin edge. By this form, the edges ofthe box toe are prevented from being objectionably prominent, both wherethey are united to the sole or bottom of the shoe and to the upper. Iprefer to pro- 6 5 vide the rubber blank or body o, with a cloth backinga which is of the samegeneral form in outline as the said body but is oflarger area, its margin projecting all around the body a as shown inFig. 1. The rubber body 7o is cemented or otherwise secured to thebacking a. The margin of the rubber body forms a shoulder a2 (Fig. 4)extending along the lower edgeof the blank or that edge which isattached to the sole of the boot or shoe, said shoulder abutting againstthe edge of the inner sole s.

I claim- As an improved article of manufacture, a box toe blank,composed of a backing-piece 8o and a hat elastic body or piece centrallythickened and gradually decreased in thickness in all directions fromsaid central portion toward its edges, said blank being provided with ashoulder or rabbet a2 near its lower 85 edge formed to bear against thetoe of the inner sole of a boot or shoe, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of 9o April, A. D.1892.

JAMES w. PACKARD.

Witnesses:

FLOEENTINE L. STONE,- WILLIAM A. JONES.

